한국 특산어인 각시붕어 (Rhodeus uyekii)는 산란기인 5월 중순에서 6월 초순사이에 나타나는 혼인색이 아름다워 관상어로서의 개발 가능성이 높다. 자라서 혼인색이 가장 많이 나타나는 시기에 이 어류의 체표, 지느러미 둥에 분포하는 색소 조성을 알아보았다. 각시붕어 혼인색의 주성분은 carotenoids인 것으로 나타났다. 천연산 각시붕어의 표피 및 지느러미 부위의 총 carotenoid의 함량은 산란기 어류에서 $44.9mg\%$, 비산란기는 $41.8mg\%$로 나타나 산란기에서 다소 높은 경향을 나타냈다. Carotenoids의 조성에서는 자연 수계에서 산란기에서는 zeaxanthin $36.7\%$, $eta$-carotene $30.1\%$ 및 diatoxanthin $16.4\%$, 비산란기에서는 $eta$-carotene $41.2\%$, diatoxanthin $18.1\%$ 및 isocryptoxanthin $14.0\%$로 나타나 산란기의 carotenoid 주성분은 zeaxanthin이며 비산란기의 carotenoid 주성분은 $eta$-carotene으로 carotenoids 조성의 차이를 보였다.
The rose bitterling (Rhodeus uyekii), aboriginal fish of Korea, have beautiful nuptial colors on the body and fins in their spawning season. So, this species has high possibility to become a new ornamental Bish. However, nothing is known about the color composition of body colors of this species. Therefore, this study was conducted to investigate the color component of the skin and fins of the bitterling collected from natural environment. The major component of the nuptial colors was carotenoids according to the present study. Amount of total carotenoids on the skin and fins, had a tendency to be higher during the spawning season than the non-spawning season; it was $44.9mg\%$ during spawning season and $41.8mg\%$ during non-spawning season. The composition of carotenoid during spawning season was $36.7\%$ of zeaxanthin $30.1\%$ of $eta$-carotene, and $16.4\%$ of diatoxanthin. The composition of carotenoid during non-spawning season was $41.2\%$ of $eta$-carotene, $18.1\%$ of diatoxanthin, and $14.0\%$ of isocryptoxanthin. The major component of the carotenoid during spawning season turned out to be zeaxanthin while the major component of the carotenoid during non-spawning season was $eta$-carotene.
